Throwing the press out of New Orleans

[icarus]

According to Reuters the press is being thrown out of New Orleans

Call the White House, 202-456-1111, and let them know that there is still freedom of the press -- there is no national security issue in this disaster -- there should be nothing to hide when the goal is to seek the truth about what happened.

I'm staggered, so furious I've been pacing for the last half hour.

wildernessguru says: "That's illegal."

Comments

[atrata.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm with you on all that. My only point is that the press is not being "thrown out" of New Orleans.

Also, I'm reading somewhat conflicting reports about the bodies. The AP says they've been asked only to hold off on printing photographs until the victims have been identified and their families notified. That's standard practice, and not something I can find fault with. Photos of the dead are coming across the wires regularly.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I've noticed when there's a lot of spin the story starts to get muddled as people change their tune.

They were being barred from accompanying rescue teams. The national guard was not letting them on the boats in accord with a new FEMA policy. The reason given was the photos. But it's not FEMA's job to muzzle the media.

only to hold off on printing photographs until the victims have been identified and their families notified.

Standard practice with crime victims where the victims' families can be contacted. I don't know if it's standard practice with disasters where you can't contact the relatives, where the net effect would be you can't publish photos at all.

But then again, I can't think of any modern American disaster of this scale.

They found 100 dead in one warehouse alone, all people apparently waiting for rescue. How do you contact 100 families who are scattering all over the country? I understand drowning victims' faces become very bloated and distorted, slowing the identification process.

This is just spin. It's setting people up to blame the messenger for any ugly images out of New Orleans rather than the people who are responsible.

Icarus